Scott Walker: A Deep Shade of Blue (Paperback)

by Mike Watkinson (Author), Pete Anderson (Author)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description
This is a biography of Scott Walker - one of pop music's enigmas. Musicians as diverse as Bono, Marc Almond, Julian Cope and David Bowie acknowledge his influence, while his appeal as a sixties idol extended to all ages. With the Walker Brothers, he achieved hits such as "The Sun Ain't Gonna Shine Anymore", "Make It Easy On Yourself" and "No Regrets". As a solo artist he had more success with "Joanna" and "Jacky", gaining the respect of critics and contemporaries alike. Then he disapeared to live a reclusive life. Walker now lives alone in West London. Contributions from close friends, relatives and fellow musicians offer a tale of attempted suicide, confusion and 60s mayhem in this revealing portrait.

Product Details

• Paperback: 287 pages
• Publisher: London Bridge (T) (September 1996)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0863698778
• ISBN-13: 978-0863698774
• Product Dimensions: 8.8 x 5.8 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 13.6 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 3.5 out of 5 stars See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #2,034,656 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Good read, but still a few holes, September 29, 1998

By A Customer

If you're a fan of the Walker Brothers, this is a must, but if you are a fan of only Scott Walker then this book is a bit of a letdown. Scott, as you can guess, didn't lend himself to the book.

There's a lot of info about Scott's pre-Walker Brothers groups. There's also a lot of info about Scott's early days with the Walker Brothers and their huge fame in England in the mid 1960's, their subsequent breakup, Scott's popular and critically acclaimed solo career, and career mistakes in the 1970's which leads to the Walker Brothers reunion from 1975-1978.

The author tries hard to fill in the blanks with others to tell the stories, but like the story where Walker enrolls in an arts program in the mid-1980's in London we learn very little except he was a skinny, tall American who was vaguely familiar to the teacher. Or the part about when Brian Eno & Daniel Lanois tried to produce a Scott Walker solo album in the late 1980's, only to have the sessions fail - very little information is given.

Almost as much attention is given about John Maus and Gary Leeds' failed post-Walker Brothers careers as Scott's.

This book was also finished before the release of Scott's 1995 solo album, "Tilt", which is a weird masterpiece of dark poetry, industrial clatter, and sheer beauty. It's a shame the book couldn't have waited to give more insight on "Tilt". It had only been 11 years since the last Scott Walker solo album. I think they could have waited.

Don't let my 3 star review scare you off. If you're a Scott Walker fan then this is a good one to read, although it's nothing definitive by any means.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars For fans, an essential read., October 8, 1998

By A Customer

It's tough to find information on this guy. For now, this book is as close as you're gonna get. Absolutely fascinating, in spite of the sometimes frustrating lack of info, especially post 1984. "Tilt," his 1995 recording (a masterpiece, albeit very strange and somewhat inaccessible, musically speaking) may be the last we hear from him.